Chemical conversion employing solid catalysts are often conducted using a fixed, ebullating, moving or fluidized bed of catalyst-containing particles. Also, catalyst/liquid slurry reaction systems may be utilized. See commonly assigned U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 070,579, 070,574 and 070,575, each filed July 7, 1987. Each of these applications is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
Crystalline microporous three dimensional solid catalysts or CMSCs, i.e., catalysts which promote chemical reactions of molecules having selected sizes, shapes or transition states, include naturally occurring molecular sieves and synthetic molecular sieves, together referred to as molecular sieves, and layered clays.
CMSC-containing particles often include one or more matrix materials, such as binders and fillers, to provide a desired property or properties to the particles. These matrix materials often promote undesirable chemical reactions or otherwise detrimentally affect the catalytic performance of the CMSC. It would be advantageous to reduce the deleterious effect of such matrix materials on the catalytic performance or effectiveness of solid compositions containing CMSC and one or more of such matrix materials.
Methanol is readily producible from coal and other raw materials by the use of well-known commerciall processes. For example, synthesis gas can be obtained by the combustion of any carbonaceous material including coal or any organic material such as hydrocarbons, carbohydrates and the like. The synthesis gas can be manufactured into methanol by a well known heterogeneous catalytic reaction.
"Hydrocarbons from Methanol" by Clarence D. Chang, published by Marcel Dekker, Inc. N.Y. (1983) presents a survey and summary of the technology described by its title. Chang discussed methanol to olefin conversion in the presence of molecular sieves at pages 21-26. The examples given by Chang as suitable molecular sieves for converting methanol to olefins are Chabazite, erionite, and synthetic zeolite ZK-5.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,238,631; and 4,423,274 disclose processes for converting methanol to olefin-enriched or gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons in the presence of fluid catalyst particles having a zeolite with a pore opening of at least 5 angstroms. These zeolites are distinguished by virtue of having an effective pore size intermediate between the small pore Linde A and the large pore Linde X, i.e., the pore windows of the structure are the size which would be provided by 10 member rings of silicon atoms interconnected by oxygen atoms. These zeolites include ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-23, ZSM-35, ZSM-38, and ZSM-48. These patents disclose that such intermediate pore size zeolites can be utilized by maintaining a high coke level on the catalyst, in the range of 5 to 20 weight %, to preferentially produce olefins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,095 discloses a process for making light olefins from methanol using ZSM-34, which is a zeolite having a pore size somewhat smaller than the zeolites described in the other patents noted in this paragraph. However, no olefin selectivity advantage for maintaining a high coke level was disclosed when using the smaller pore size ZSM-34 zeolite.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,300,011 and 4,359,595 disclose processes for alkylating aromatics and converting methanol to gasoline and/or olefins (among other reactions) catalyzed by the above-noted intermediate sized zeolites with bulky heterocyclic organic nitrogen compounds, e.g., quinoline. These patents disclose that the production of unwanted products is suppressed. These patents disclose that the nitrogen compounds may be effective as heat transfer mediums or solvents for the reaction. Neither patent discloses smaller pore zeolites, catalyst regeneration nor slurry reactions.
Among the CMSCs that can be used to promote converting methanol to olefins are non-zeolitic molecular sieves such as aluminophosphates or ALPOs, in particular silicoaluminophosphates or SAPOs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,871. U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,327, issued Feb. 12, 1985 discloses processes for catalytically converting methanol to light olefins using SAPOs at effective process conditions. This U.S. Patent and EPC Publication are each incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.